Via Umbria

Beautiful store. We need more of this in Georgetown! I travel to Italy once or twice a year, and they come the closest to anything I’ve seen in Washington to offering the real deal. For those who may not follow it closely, Georgetown has struggled in recent years. The demise of the liquor license ban in May should help quite a bit, but in the meantime places like Via Umbria become oases in the desert. Long may it flourish!

A new kid on the block! I’m told this store opened in November of 2015, making it one of the most recent arrivals in the upper Georgetown commercial strip of Wisconsin Ave. I have a feeling it will do well here.
I almost hate to use this word because of how much of a workout it tends to get in reviews, but this place was, in fact, charming. Colorful. Full of merchandise that was — brace yourself — delightful. Painted Italian pottery and groceries, kitchen linens, all thrown together in a slightly eclectic way that somehow worked.
A wine room.
A café.
A shop.
All in all, an enchanting mish-​mash of Italianate stuff that will leave you reaching for your wallet. Hard to imagine a home that wouldn’t be brightened by their merchandise.

Great atmosphere, great coffee. Started with an Espresso which had a good pep. Moved on to a Cappuccino with a solid taste. And eventually asked one of the baristas, Matt, for his favorite thing to make. He came back to the table shortly with something he called a «Matt Avino Special.» I have no clue what it was, but it was damn delicious. Recommended for any coffee lover.

This is an update to my original review, the expresso definitely the best in Georgetown. Today I had a tasting of their wines, the man who conducting the tasting was great. The wines he selected were very affordable and the opportunity to learn was a great experience.
The store design is innovative and clearly functional with a fun experience in mind. The counters look clean and make everything look inviting. The packaged cookies and cakes are well curated and the ones they have out for tasting are killer. I tried a chocolate dusted fig today –amazing.
This is a fabulous place to have lunch or a late afternoon snack. Finally, there is edible pizza in small business Georgetown. The take home foods are a real plus.
I go almost every day!

Stopped in spontaneously for an early breakfast and was quite pleased… I’d be interested in another visit. I suspect that my son, the chef, would really like this place…

Via Umbria is super expensive and sell food products 3 times up … for things you can find at whole foods. Their layout also is very awkward. Their ceramics are so expensive too, I liked one simple ceramic bowl and it was 300 $ … Also another small example I can mention, a small package of Italian biscotti is 12 $ (from whole foods 5 $)
Furthermore, Everything at their fresh meat section is very unappealing (I thought to go vegan when I first saw it)
I ve been many times to Via Umbria since they reopened. Last time they had a horrible pizza, and some bad looking sandwiches. Surprising their coffee wasn’t nice at all! They do Illy which is my favourite but my espresso was horrible.
Very disappointing, I gave to that place many chances but I think is a fail. They should offer excellent lunch/​snack choices with high quality ingredients … I definitely don’t recommend this place

A taste of Italy in the heart of Georgetown. Sooo glad this place opened! A great café + wine shop + Italian deli + so much more.

Good coffee, friendly staff, beautiful store. Highly recommend the almond croissant. Some vegetables near the front looked lovely and a small selection of local dairy. Will be back!

I went in this afternoon after hearing from a friend that they served amazing porchetta sandwiches on Friday and Saturday. I managed to get one of the last pieces of porchetta available and it did not disappoint! Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, served as a simple but delicious sandwich. I ate my sandwich at the seating on the second level, where they have a gorgeous, open kitchen. One of the staff told me they offer cooking classes and dinner parties.
Turns out they just reopened after being closed for a time, this time they’ve reopened as both a café and a store that sells imported Italian goods like olive oil, ceramics and Umbrian wine. Overall, friendly staff and great food, and I’m excited to try one of the cooking classes!

Stopped by this new Italian gourmet shop during the pre-​opening. They gave me a special complementary hot tea just for giving my email address. It seems to be a nice shop with friendly service, food demos and cooking classes upstairs. The café space in the back is well-​designed with a European feeling and is cozy. Can’t wait to return. There needs to be more places like this in DC and particularly Georgetown.

Love this store! Beautiful ceramics and other home goods imported from Italy. Don’t miss this gem!